Steve Spurrier joins Sirius XM radio as 'media boy'

USC head football coach Steve Spurrier looks up to the stands as the USC Gamecocks host the Vanderbilt Commodores at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, on Saturday, September 14, 2013.(Photo: Staff file)Buy Photo

Steve Spurrier officially became a “media boy” Tuesday when he began a regular appearance on Sirius XM College Sports Nation.

“One thing I’ve learned is when you’re a media boy, talking season is year-round,” said Spurrier, the winningest head coach in the history of the football programs at both the University of South Carolina and Florida.

Spurrier will appear three times a week on the station – from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Tuesday, from 5 to 6 p.m. every Wednesday and from 8 to 9 a.m. every Thursday. He will join the regular hosts of those time slots, including former UCLA coach Rick Nueheisel and former Alabama quarterback Greg McIlroy, rather than having his own show.

“I thought that might be a fun thing to do, to hang around with the media boys,” Spurrier said. “This is just a little something to do for three hours a week. Other than that, I am trying to be a good ambassador.”

Spurrier, who was 86-49 in 10-and-half seasons as the Gamecocks coach, now lives in Gainesville, Florida, and serves as an ambassador for the University of Florida athletic program. He was known throughout his coaching career for barbs aimed at other programs, but he told The State that fans shouldn’t expect much of that during his Sirius appearances.

“I’ll try to sort of inform sports fans, hopefully, maybe what the coach is thinking and going through,” he said. “I’m not going to criticize any other coaches, that’s for sure. Sometimes they read into it the wrong way.”

Spurrier will have another new job this fall in addition to the radio gig. Through Florida’s College of Health and Human Performance, he will present a four-hour lecture series titled “Winners and Losers.” The course will be based on the teachings of former journalist Sydney Harris, who Spurrier first learned about while an assistant coach at Duke when Blue Devils coach Red Wilson passed out a sheet highlighting Harris’ beliefs.

Spurrier preached many of the tenants to his players throughout his career.

“Hopefully, the students here can learn something from it, because I know I did,” he said. “I’ve not met anyone yet who wants to be a loser in life. We know some losers, but they didn’t plan on it, I don’t think.”